THIS JUST IN! BREAKING NEWS FROM 1787... CONSTITUTION OK MAJOR NEWS FOR KIDS' CABLE SHOW.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

NEWHALL - George Washington was said to have a mouthful of wooden teeth, but when he arrived Tuesday for a news conference at a Santa Clarita television station, his mouth gleamed with shiny braces.

A La Mesa eighth-grader was playing the nation's first president as schoolmates re-enacted the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

``We've abolished the Articles of Confederation,'' said Casey Rowley, a 13-year-old girl dressed as Washington, talking to a bevy of teen-age reporters who reacted with surprise at the announcement.

While young actors portrayed Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison - complete with powdered wigs and costumes typical of American Revolutionary days - their classmates operated cameras and ran the control room to create a student-made program that will air on SCVTV Channel 20 sometime next week.

The students incorporated history, English and technology in their production, accurately portraying history on one side of the soundproof glass as others provided direction to headset-wearing camera operators and a director.

``We're taking a segment of U.S. history and turning it into a news broadcast,'' said Todd Nelson, a history teacher at La Mesa. ``It's as if they were alive today, and this is how the event would be covered.''

As one girl crouched on the floor scribbling out lines on cue cards, three students simultaneously operated the station's three cameras, taking cues from the control room.

``We got here early and they taught us how to use the cameras,'' said Farah Noor, operating Camera 1. ``It's kind of like, it wouldn't work without having that communication with the director.''

Rowley removed her wig once off-camera and explained what it means to the students to be allowed to create their own TV spot.

``Acting and being able to work the cameras, the kids get to do it all and adults don't do it. It's cool because usually if we went to a place like this, they would think we'd break something,'' she said. ``But history is so much more fun when you get to act it out.''

Station production assistant Bonnie Weynand said she was impressed with the way the students handled themselves, not to mention the quality of their work.

``They picked it up really quickly,'' Weynand said. ``Little kids and junior high students tend to do better (in the studio) than high school kids or adults, I think because adults seem to be more fearful of doing something wrong. The kids are less inhibited.''

To find out when the student production will air, call the station at [phone].

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Cheryl Stevens, an eighth-grader, makes cue cards for a mock press conference announcing approval of the Constitution.

(2 -- 3 -- color) Eighth-grader Sam Thornton, top, as Benjamin Franklin, goes over his lines before going on the air. Above, Thornton and eighth- grader Casey Rowley, playing George Washington, go before the cameras to announce approval of the U.S. Constitution in the way such announcements are broadcast today.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer